Cuddalore

District in Tamil Nadu

PopulationCensus 2011, the latest complete count; Census 2027 results are expected from 2028
26.1 Lakh
State: 6.9 Crore
Area
3,727 km²
2.8% of state
Literacy RateCensus 2011: literates as a share of people aged 7 and above
78.0%
State: 79.7%
Sex RatioCensus 2011: females per 1,000 males
987
State: 997
DensityCensus 2011 population per km²
699 /km²
State: 534 /km²
Population RankBy Census 2011 population
6th of 38
In Tamil Nadu

Credit Growth (5-Year) in Cuddalore: 105.5%, 19th highest of 32 districts in Tamil Nadu

MSME Density in Cuddalore: 46.7 per 1,000 people, 29th highest of 38 districts in Tamil Nadu

Women Literacy in Cuddalore: 78.3%, 5th lowest of 32 districts in Tamil Nadu

Health Insurance in Cuddalore: 62.0%, 23rd highest of 38 districts in Tamil Nadu

60%85%110%140%200%+No data
RBI Bank Credit (BSR-1) · 2026
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5204080150+No data
Udyam Registration (MSME) · 2026
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40%55%65%80%90%+No data
National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5) · 2019–21
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5%20%40%60%85%+No data
National Family Health Survey (NFHS-6) · 2023–24
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Cuddalore is a district in Tamil Nadu with a population of 26.1 Lakh (Census 2011) spread across 3,727 sq km. Its literacy rate of 78.0% is below the state average of 79.7% and above the national average of 72.9%. The district has a sex ratio of 987 females per 1,000 males, below the state average of 997.


Demographics

IndicatorDistrictState AvgNational
Population Density699 /km²▲534 /km²366 /km²
Sex Ratio987▼997943
Literacy Rate78.0%▼79.7%72.9%
SC Population29.3%▲20.2%16.6%
ST Population0.6%▼1.1%8.7%
Worker Participation44.9%▼45.8%39.8%

What changed in Cuddalore, 2019–21 to 2023–24

NFHS-5 → NFHS-6, changes of 5 points or more.

Health & Development

NFHS-6 (2023–24, provisional) · “was”: the 2019–21 value, where it moved 5 points or more

State Avg and National are population-weighted averages, not official NFHS figures. “Was” is NFHS-5 as reprinted on the NFHS-6 sheet, which can differ from the NFHS-5 layer. Small districts can swing on sampling noise.

Women & Gender

IndicatorDistrictState AvgNational
Female Work Gap21st highest of 3824.7 pts▼27.0 pts27.9 pts

Economy & Infrastructure

IndicatorDistrictState AvgNational
MSME Density29th highest of 3846.7 per 1k pop▼61.7 per 1k pop39.8 per 1k pop
Total MSMEs11th highest of 381.2 Lakh▲1.1 Lakh61.7k
Women Internet Use23rd highest of 3856.1%was 39.7%▼60.0%64.4%

Governance

IndicatorDistrictState AvgNational
Pending Cases21st highest of 372129 per lakh▼2436 per lakh4025 per lakh

Safety & Crime

IndicatorDistrictState AvgNational
Child Abuse (POCSO)18th highest of 377.3 per lakh▲7.0 per lakh5.3 per lakh
Cyber Crime (IT Act cases)15th highest of 332.0 per lakh▼2.2 per lakh2.7 per lakh

Climate Vulnerability

IndicatorDistrictState AvgNational
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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the population of Cuddalore district?

Cuddalore has a population of 26.1 Lakh according to the Census 2011, with a density of 699 people per sq km across 3,727 sq km.

What is the population of Cuddalore in 2026?

There is no official count or district estimate after 2011. The latest figure is the Census 2011 count of 26.1 Lakh. Census 2027 enumeration takes place in February 2027, with results expected from 2028.

What is the literacy rate of Cuddalore?

Cuddalore has a literacy rate of 78.0% (Census 2011), which is below the Tamil Nadu average of 79.7% and above the national average of 72.9%.

How does Cuddalore compare to Tamil Nadu?

Cuddalore is the 6th most populous of 38 districts in Tamil Nadu. Its sex ratio of 987 females per 1,000 males is below the state average of 997 (Census 2011).

How many children in Cuddalore are stunted or underweight?

In Cuddalore, 16.9% of children under 5 are stunted, 18.7% wasted and 25.5% underweight (NFHS-6, 2023–24, provisional). Stunting compares with a Tamil Nadu average of 20.7% and an India average of 28.0%.

How many households in Cuddalore have health insurance?

62.0% of households in Cuddalore have at least one member covered by a health insurance or financing scheme (NFHS-6, 2023–24, provisional), down from 64.4% in 2019–21. The Tamil Nadu average is 61.9% and India's 58.1%.

What changed in Cuddalore between NFHS-5 and NFHS-6?

Between NFHS-5 (2019–21) and NFHS-6 (2023–24), Cuddalore improved most in women internet use (40% to 56%), women 10+ year schooling (50% to 59%), 4+ antenatal visits (82% to 88%), and got worse in women overweight or obese (35% to 43%), child underweight (18% to 26%), women owning a mobile phone (77% to 71%). Changes under 5 percentage points are not counted.

What data sources are used for Cuddalore?

Data comes from Census 2011, NFHS-5 (2019–21), NFHS-6 (2023–24), NJDG (2024), Udyam/MSME (2026), NCRB SLL (2022), CVI (2021), Ag Census 2015–16, RBI BSR (2026), and other official sources.

Data Sources

Each indicator keeps its own source and vintage. How they are crosswalked onto one district geography is on the methodology page, with the per-source limits on the caveats page.